( 1) His resignation was accepted December 29, 1860. Howell Cobb, of Georgia, Buchanan's Secretary of the Treasury, resigned December 8, 1860, and was, on February 4, 1861, chosen the presiding officer of the first Confederate Congress. He left the United States Treasury empty. Jacob Thompson of Mississippi, Buchanan's Secretary of the Interior, resigned January 8, 1861. He had corresponded with secessionists South, and while yet in the Cabinet had been appointed a commissioner by his State to urge North Carolina to secede. He became an aid to Beauregard, but attained no military distinction. In 1864 he went to Canada, and there promoted a plan to release prisoners at Camp Douglas, Chicago, and to seize the city, and was charged with instigating plots to burn New York and other Northern cities. ( 2) _Am. Cyclopedia_, 1861 (Appleton), pp. 430, 431. It is interesting to note that Louisiana, jointly with the Confederate States, issued in April and May, 1861, made from captured United States bullion, on United States dies of 1861, gold coin, $254,820 in double eagles, and silver coin, $1,101,316.50 in half dollars. In May, 1861, the remaining bullion was transferred to A. J. Guizot, Assistant Treasurer Confederate States of America, who at once destroyed the United States dies and had a Confederate States die for silver half dollars engraved by the coiner, A. H. M. Peterson. From this die _four_ pieces only were struck on a screw press, the die being of such high relief that its use was impracticable. These _four_ coins composed the _entire_ coinage of the Confederate States. Its design, _Obverse:_ Goddess of Liberty (same as United States coins) with arc of thirteen stars (representing original States), date, "1861." _Reverse:_ American shield beneath a "Liberty Cap"; union of shield and seven stars (representing original seceded States), surrounded by a wreath, to the left (cotton in bloom), to the right (sugar cane). _Legend: "Confederate States of America_," exergue, "_Half Dol._"--_U. S._(Townsend), p. 427. ( 3) _Am. Cyclop._, 1861, p. 123. ( 4) P. G. T. Beauregard resigned, February 20, 1861, a captaincy in the United States army while holding the appointment of Superintendent of West Point. ( 5) _Life of Beauregard_ (Roman), vol. i., p. 25. ( 6) _Hist. Reg. U. S. A._ (Heitman), pp. 836-845. ( 7) Scharf's _Hist. C. S. N._, p. 14. ( 8) President Lincoln's Message, July, 1861. ( 9) _Am. Cyclop._, 1861, p. 431. (10) This is the only instance where Buchanan issued such an order, hence we give it.